CANADA SUMMER JOBS CSJ Supporting Students Serving Communities Applicant Guide

CANADA SUMMER JOBS (CSJ) - 2008 Supporting Students: Serving Communities Applicant Guide February 2008 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 Table of Contents Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………………. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………. Objectives.....………………………………………………………………………………..……… Assessment Criteria…………….………………………………………………………….……… Application Deadline……………………………………………………………….……………… Other Key Dates………….…………….……………….……………………………….………… 3 3 3 3 3 4 Eligibility……………………………………………………………………………………………. Eligible Employers…………………………………………………………………….…………… Ineligible Employers……………………………………………………………………………….. Eligible Student Participants……………………………………………………………………… Eligible Costs…………………………………………………………………………….………… Eligible Activities……………………………………………………………………….………… Duration and Hours of Work……………………………………………………..……………….. Maximum Contribution……………………………………………………………………….……. Number of Participants……………………………………………………………………………. 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 Instructions for Completing the CSJ Application Form………………………….….….. Part A – Employer Information……………………………………………………………….…... Part B – Job Details……………………………………………………………………….………. Calculation of Employer’s Total Costs…………………………………………………….…….. 6 7 10 12 15 15 15 16 19 20 20 21 Assessment Process…………………………………………………………………………… Application Eligibility Criteria……………………………………………………………………… Initial Application Checklist……………………………………………….……………….……… Assessment Criteria……………………………………………………………………………..... Approval Process………………………………………………………………………………..……. Office of the Fairness Advisor……………………………………………………………….……... Contact Us………………………………………………………………………………………………… Appendix A - Acknowledgement Card – Canada Summer Jobs……….………….…..…. Applicant Guide - 2008 2 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 Purpose The purpose of this Applicant Guide is to provide information to assist you with the completion of your Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) application for 2008. If you require information or clarification that is not provided by this guide, you may contact your local Service Canada Centre (SCC). Contact information for the SCC is available at www.1.servicecanada.gc.ca/gateways/where_you_live/menu.shtml or by calling 1-800-935-5555. Introduction Supporting Students: Serving Communities Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) is an initiative under Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy. CSJ provides funding to not-for-profit, public and small private sector employers with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for full-time students aged 15-30 years. Objectives Canada Summer Jobs is about: Supporting work experiences for students; Supporting organizations including those that provide important community services; and Recognizing that local circumstances, community needs and priorities vary widely. Assessment Criteria For 2008, the criteria to assess applications for funding under CSJ will focus on: service to local communities; jobs that support local priorities (special events or other defined local priorities, such as tourism); jobs that provide career-related experience or early work experience; a salary that contributes to the student’s income; an employer who provides supervision and mentoring; project activities that are directed toward members of, and support the vitality of, an officiallanguage minority community; and, an employer who intends to hire priority students (students with disabilities, Aboriginal students, and students who are members of visible minority groups). • • • • Assessment of applications will be carried out constituency-by-constituency, ensuring that local priorities are considered. Local priorities for each of the 308 federal electoral constituencies are posted on the Service Canada website, along with the other criteria to be used in assessing projects1, at www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/epb/yi/yep/programs/local/index.shtml. Application Deadline THE APPLICATION DEADLINE DATE IS February 29, 2008 1 For Canada Summer Jobs, the “project” means the activities of the job(s) described in the application. Applicant Guide - 2008 3 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 Applications received or postmarked after the deadline date will not be assessed or considered. You may apply through any of the channels identified below. If applying … On-line2: In person 3: your application must be submitted by 23:59 Pacific Time, February 29, 2008. your application must be received before the closing time for the local Service Canada Centre (SCC) on February 29. (Consult the Service Canada web site at www.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/gateways/where_you_live/menu.shtml to find the hours of service for your local SCC.) your application must be postmarked on or before February 29, 2008. (Consult the Service Canada web site at www.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/gateways/where_you_live/menu.shtml to find the postal address for your local SCC.) your application must be faxed to a local SCC by 23:59 local time. (Consult the Service Canada web site at www.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/gateways/where_you_live/menu.shtml to find the fax number of your local SCC). By mail 4: By fax 5: Other Key Dates The earliest project start date is Monday, April 28, 2008. The latest project start date is Monday, July 21, 2008. The latest project end date is Saturday, August 30, 2008. Eligibility Eligible Employers Not-for-profit and public sector employers and smaller private sector employers may apply for wage subsidies through the Canada Summer Jobs initiative. Private sector employers must have 50 or fewer full-time employees (i.e. working 30 hours or more per week) across Canada to be eligible. An electronic confirmation of a successful receipt of an on-line application will be automatically sent to you. Please retain the reference number contained therein in case you need to use it in further communications with Service Canada. An employer submitting an application in person who wishes to confirm that the application has been received must fill out an Acknowledgment Card (see Appendix A) and submit it with the application. An employer submitting an application by mail who wishes to confirm that the application has been received must fill out an Acknowledgment Card (see Appendix A) and submit it with the application. 5 4 3 2 An employer submitting an application by fax should keep a confirmation of transmission. Applicant Guide - 2008 4 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 Ineligible Employers Members of the House of Commons, the Senate, Federal Government Departments and Agencies, and provincial legislatures/territorial assemblies are not eligible for funding under the CSJ initiative. The only exceptions are provincial/territorial bodies that have the express authorization of the Minister, HRSDC to participate in CSJ. Note: If an applicant employer is deemed ineligible, the application will not be assessed or considered further. Eligible Student Participants To be eligible to participate in Canada Summer Jobs, individuals must: be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment6; have been registered as full-time students in the previous academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the next academic year; be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and, be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations. Eligible Costs Wage Subsidy Not-for-profit employers are eligible for up to 100 per cent of the provincial/territorial adult minimum hourly wage. Public and private-sector employers are eligible for up to 50 per cent of the provincial/territorial adult minimum hourly wage. Refer to your provincial or territorial legislation to confirm the minimum wage. Mandatory Employment-related Costs (MERCs) Employers are required by law to make payments of these mandatory costs for their employees. The costs include Employment Insurance premiums, Canada or Quebec Pension Plan contributions, vacation pay, workers’ compensation premiums, health insurance and parental insurance premiums in Quebec and Ontario (if applicable), the Health and Post-Secondary Education Tax in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Health and Education Levy in Manitoba. Check with the appropriate national/provincial/territorial authorities to ensure that you have the most up-to-date rate information. Not-for-profit employers are eligible for reimbursement of mandatory employment-related costs for up to 100% of the adult minimum wage in the province/territory where the activities will take place. All other employers are not eligible for funding to cover MERCs, in whole or in part. Other Eligible Costs - Students with Disabilities All applicants may be eligible for additional funding up to $3,000 per student with a disability to accommodate the student within the workplace. However, only personal tools/adaptations that 6 In the Articles of Agreement, this is expressed as “at the time of intake/selection.” Applicant Guide - 2008 5 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 students require to accomplish tasks covered under a CSJ contribution agreement will be considered eligible. Eligible Activities The job must provide meaningful work experience for a student. It must not contribute to the provision of personal service to the applicant (e.g. the job must not involve gardening, domestic services, child care services, etc. for the applicant). Duration and Hours of Work Jobs funded under CSJ must be from six to sixteen weeks in duration. Normally, these weeks are consecutive. Depending on demand and available funding, approval may be given for fewer weeks than requested in an application. Jobs also must be full-time (i.e. from 30 to 40 hours per week). Some exceptions to the latter can be made for students with disabilities or other barriers to working full-time. Maximum Contribution For the purpose of Canada Summer Jobs, the maximum contribution normally will be for a value no greater than $300,000 per employer per province/territory, including MERCs and overhead costs (if applicable). Number of Participants There is no maximum number of participants. Depending on demand and available funding, approval may be given for fewer jobs/participants than requested in an application. Instructions for Completing the CSJ Application This section will assist you in completing the application. It is essential that the application be fully completed and signed [though signature(s) are not required initially for on-line applications]. Before you start… You must read this Applicant Guide and the CSJ Articles of Agreement. If you are applying on-line, it is recommended that you either print a copy of each of those documents for reference or have them open in a separate browser. Before you complete the application, you first should read about the assessment process and tools provided in this guide in order to better understand how your application will be assessed. Important! If you are applying for funding for multiple jobs based in more than one constituency, a separate application must be submitted for each constituency. Ensure you have a copy of the local priorities for the applicable constituency when completing each application. The location of the job (not the mailing address) determines the constituency. If you are unsure about constituency boundaries in the area of the activities, consult the Elections Canada web site at: http://www.elections.ca. Applicant Guide - 2008 6 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 To complete your application you will need the following information: the legal name of your organization; the common name of your organization, if different from the legal name; your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) registration number; your Workers’ Compensation account and/or other applicable liability insurance account number; your mailing address, complete with postal code; the number of employees you have (private sector employers must have 50 or fewer fulltime7 employees across Canada to be eligible); and the date your organization began operations. While completing your application, be prepared to answer several questions and to provide details about the job(s) being created, such as: the number and titles of the jobs for which you are requesting assistance; a full description of tasks, responsibilities, plans for supervision and mentoring, and health and safety measures (whether in place or planned); the hourly wage to be paid to the student(s); and, the portion of the hourly rate that you are requesting from Government of Canada. Part A – Employer Information Note: The questions in the on-line application are in a slightly different order, but the same information is required. 1. Canada Revenue Agency Registration Number Enter the 15-character number that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) assigned to you for making your remittances for employee deductions. To obtain this CRA registration number, consult http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca, or phone CRA at 1-800-959-5525. The on-line application requires this CRA registration number to proceed. If you do not have a number in time to apply by February 29, you may proceed to apply using the paper application. However, if your application is recommended for funding, you must provide a CRA registration number before the application can be approved. 2. Legal Name of Employer Enter the legal name of your organization. This is the name that is associated with your registration with CRA. If your application is approved, remember that it becomes a binding agreement with the Government of Canada and that all payments will be made out to the name you enter into this box. 3. Common Name of Employer If your organization’s common name is different from the legal name, or you want to specify a particular department in your organizations, enter the common name here: e.g., legal name: Information Inc.; common name: Info-Management. 7 Employees that work 30 hours or more per week. Applicant Guide - 2008 7 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 4. and 5. Telephone and Fax Numbers Enter the telephone and fax numbers normally used for the contact person, i.e. the individual who will respond to any questions concerning this application. 6. Employer Type Check the box that best describes your organization. Note: If an employer disagrees with a decision regarding the definition of ‘employer’ category, he/she must demonstrate in writing how and by whom the organization is funded, as well as how and to whom the organization must account for its activities. 7. Is a union present on the worksite or are you a unionized employer? If there is a collective agreement in your workplace, or if you are a unionized employer, you must supply written documentation from the union (on union letterhead) attesting to the fact that the union has been consulted and does not object to the participant job(s) as described in your application. If your application is recommended for funding, you must provide written documentation from the union before your application can be approved. 8. Name of Employer Contact Person Specify a contact person in your organization whom we may contact regarding your application or any consequent agreement. This individual should be fully informed on both the application and the project activities that are being proposed. 9. E-mail Address Specify the usual/primary e-mail address of the organization or contact person. 10. Organization has existed since Enter the year, month and day that your organization began operation. 11. What is your organization’s main product or service? Describe your organization’s primary business focus or mandate, and provide a summary of your main products and/or services. 12. Number of employees in Canada Enter the number of full-time employees in your organization across Canada. Full-time employees are those who work 30 hours or more per week with your organization. 13. Language Specify the language (either English or French) that you prefer that we use when communicating with you both verbally (service) and in writing (correspondence). Applicant Guide - 2008 8 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 14. Complete Mailing Address Enter the address of the organization to which all correspondence and payments are to be sent. This may be a street address or a post office box. Be sure to include the postal code. If you do not know your postal code, you may search for it through the Canada Post website at http://www.canadapost.ca/segment-e.asp. 15. Address of proposed jobs activities If the location of the job(s) that you are proposing for CSJ funding are different from your organization’s mailing address, specify the address of the student workplace. If different from the mailing address, provide the city and postal code. Will the project activities be held in different locations? If the answer is yes and the jobs will be in different constituencies, you will need to submit a separate application for each constituency in which jobs are based. Ensure you have a copy of the local priorities for the applicable constituency when completing each application. The location of the job (not the mailing address) determines the constituency. If you are unsure about the constituency boundaries in the area of the activities, consult the Elections Canada web site at: http://www.elections.ca . 16. Do the activities of the project focus on the provision of services in the local community? Select the appropriate box(es) if the job activities focus on providing services: to persons with disabilities; to recent immigrants; to Aboriginal people; to members of visible minorities; to persons who are homeless or street-involved; to other groups with social or employment barriers (including adult literacy/numeracy); to children or youth; to seniors; related to environmental protection; related to crime prevention; related to public health and/or safety; or related to cultural or historical development. If the job activities are not about providing any of these community services, select ‘none of the above.’ Note: In the assessment process, points are awarded if activities of the job focus on the provision of services in the local community. 17. Are the activities of the project directed at members of an Official Language Minority Community? An Official Language Minority Community (OLMC) is one in which the Official Language spoken (either English or French) is not the majority Official Language in the province or territory in question. A “community” may be an actual location or municipality, or it may be a group of individuals in a location/municipality. For example, there may be a Francophone community in a city that is largely English-speaking. For all provinces/territories except Québec, the majority Official Language is English. Applications will be assessed to determine if the activities described are directed toward the members of and support the vitality of an Official Language Minority Community. To qualify as supporting the vitality of and assisting in the development of an OLMC, the job must require the use of the Minority Language. For example, the job activities may require that the student use the minority language: Applicant Guide - 2008 9 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 in day-to-day internal operations; or for external operations or for responding to external demands (customer service); or for communications activities such as preparing written material, video, audio or web-based information; or for promoting community development or cultural activities, museums, guided tours, festivals or theatre, as well as other activities related to tourism. Note: In the assessment process, points are awarded if the project activities are directed toward the members of and support the vitality of an Official Language Minority Community. 18. Other Funding If you have received or applied for funding from other sources, or if you intend to apply for funding from other sources, answer ‘yes’ to this question. If this application is approved, Canada Summer Jobs funding is to be used to pay only the specified portion of the approved positions. See Sections 11 and 17(c) of the Articles of Agreement and complete Section 11 if applicable. 19. Do you owe any amount to the Government of Canada? If you answer “yes” to this question, state the nature of this debt and what arrangements you have for paying it back. This does not necessarily mean that your application will be rejected. However, if your application is recommended for funding, you must provide written documentation of any debt repayment arrangements before your application can be approved. Also, any amount your organization owes to the government may be deducted from, or off set against, the CSJ contributions that would be payable should your application be approved. For an on-line application, you will be contacted for further information if you have monies owing to the Government of Canada. Boxes 20(a) and 20(b) must be completed only if you are applying for $25,000 or more. For more information, see section 20 of the Articles of Agreement. You also can obtain more information about the Lobbyists Registration Act at http://laws.justice.gc.ca . 21. Workers’ compensation and/or other insurance All student employees under CSJ must be covered by workers’ compensation and/or equivalent liability insurance. This information is required for all applicants except for not-for-profit employers in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Provide your organization’s account number and the compensation rate. If you have alternative insurance, please provide the name of your insurer and your insurance contract number. Part B: Job Details In this section of the application, you must describe, in order of priority, the job(s) for which you are requesting funding. You must provide separate information for each distinct job title. If you are applying for more than three different job titles and using a paper application, you will need to copy an entire job title Applicant Guide - 2008 10 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 page for each additional job. If there is not enough space for you to describe the job details, you may record this information on a separate sheet and attach it to your application. If you intend to hire more than one student for the same job title, describe the job only once. Each student(s) you hire using CSJ funding must be assigned to one of the positions you describe in this section. All aspects of the job (i.e. job title, duties and responsibilities, start date, number of weeks, number of hours per week, and hourly wage) must be as you have described. If you want to change any of these job details, you must contact the program officer for your Canada Summer Jobs file to obtain approval for the changes. Depending on demand and available funding, approval may be given for a lesser number of jobs and or fewer weeks than requested in an application. Job Titles Enter the job title of each different position that you are applying for. Specify the wage rate of each position as hourly wage. For each job title you must: Describe the work tasks and responsibilities in detail. Describe how the student will be supervised. A plan for supervision that addresses who will supervise and how, as well as frequency of contact, etc. is mandatory for the application. Supervision should be on-site, but if this is not possible, indicate what mechanisms you will put in place to compensate. You also must describe any mentoring plan(s). A mentoring plan is a structured approach for helping a student develop skills such as problem-solving, decision-making and working with others, or specific skills associated with an occupation. Mentoring also may include other employability skills as described in the Conference Board of Canada’s Employability Skills 2000+ document at: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/education/learning-tools/pdfs/esp2000.pdf. Note: In the assessment process, points are awarded if the application outlines a plan for supervision or for supervision and mentoring. Describe how you plan to ensure that the student is aware of health and safety practices in the workplace; this is an essential element in order to pass the pre-screening stage. From what level of education do you intend to recruit a student for this job? For each job title, state the education level required for holding the described position. Select only secondary or post-secondary. “Career-related” means the position provides experience for a postsecondary student related to his/her studies. If you are planning to hire a post-secondary student, identify the field(s) of studies from which you intend to recruit a student and describe how the field(s) relate(s) to the job. Note: In the assessment process, points are awarded if the job provides a career-related experience for a post-secondary school student or an early work experience for a secondary (high school) student. Applicant Guide - 2008 11 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 Is your organization intending to hire priority student(s)? Priority students are: students with disabilities, Aboriginal students and students who are members of visible minorities. If you are planning to undertake efforts specifically to hire from one or more of these groups, briefly describe how you will recruit the student(s). Include the sources and/or mechanisms for recruitment. Should you indicate an intention to hire priority students, you will be expected to make all reasonable efforts to recruit and apply due diligence in following through. Note: In the assessment process, points are awarded if the employer intends to hire priority students and if the employer has an appropriate plan for recruiting these students. Do the duties of this job focus on the provision of services in the local community? If the job activities focus on the provision of services in the community, select the group or type of services involved. You may select more than one option. Also, ensure that the description of work tasks and responsibilities for this job highlights how it focuses on the provision of these services. If the job does not involve the provision of any of the listed services, select “none of the above.” Note: In the assessment process, points are awarded if the job focuses on providing one of more of the listed services. Does the job support local priorities? Indicate whether the job supports one or more of the local priorities identified for the constituency in which the job activities will take place. If you select “yes,” please indicate which local priority(ies) will be supported. Also, ensure that the description of work tasks and responsibilities for this job highlights how it supports the priority(ies). See the Service Canada web site for information about the local priorities for each constituency in which you propose to have CSJ-funded activities: www.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/epb/yi/yep/programs/local/index.shtml. Note: In the assessment process, points are awarded if the job focuses on one of more of the local priorities identified for the constituency in which the job will be located. Calculation of Employer’s Total Cost Including Contribution Requested Fill out all columns in the table. Space is provided for costs related to four different job titles. If you are applying by paper application for more than four job titles, make a copy of page 5, then complete and attach it. 25a. Job Title In order of priority, i.e. in the same order as listed in Part B of the application, enter the title for each different or distinct position you entered in the job details section. (In other words, use only one line for multiple jobs if all of those jobs have the same job title and duties, start/end dates and the same rate of pay.) Use abbreviations if necessary. Applicant Guide - 2008 12 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 25b. Number of Jobs Requested Enter the total number of positions you are requesting for each job title. Depending on demand and available funding, approval may be given for fewer jobs/participants than requested in an application. 25c. Anticipated Start Date Enter the date (year, month and day) that you want the students to begin working. The students cannot begin their employment before approval is received from Service Canada. The earliest start date is April 28, 2008. Note: A student cannot begin work in a job that is to be CSJ-funded until you have been notified that your application has been approved. 25d. Number of weeks per job Specify the number of weeks you intend to have the student work. The minimum required is six (6) weeks and the maximum is sixteen (16) weeks. These weeks normally are consecutive. Depending on demand and available funding, approval may be given for fewer weeks than you requested in an application. 25e. Hrs. / Week per job State the number of hours per week that the student will be required to work (minimum 30 and not exceeding 40 hours per week). This is an essential element in order to pass the pre-screening stage. The hours may later be negotiated to a shorter work week if a student has particular difficulties with full-time employment due to a disability or other circumstances. If, at the time of application, you already anticipate hiring a student who has barriers to full-time employment, enter 30 hours per week. In any case, you must have agreement from Service Canada before a student begins employment of less than 30 hours per week. 25f. Total Hours For on-line applications submitted this will be calculated for you. If you are completing a paper application, calculate the total number of hours for which you are requesting funding by using this formula: (d x e) x b. 25g. Wages – Hourly Rate to be paid student Enter the hourly wage rate that you will pay each student holding this position. The rate must be at least the minimum adult hourly wage rate for your province or territory. Note: In the assessment process, points are awarded if the wage paid is above the minimum wage rate. 25h. Wages – HRSDC Hourly rate contribution Enter the portion of the hourly wage rate for which you are requesting CSJ funding. If you are a notfor-profit employer, you are eligible to receive funding for up to 100 per cent (100%) of the provincial/territorial adult minimum wage. Public and private-sector employers are eligible for up to 50 per cent of the provincial/territorial adult minimum wage. Applicant Guide - 2008 13 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 25i. (For not-for-profit applicants only) HRSDC Requested TOTAL MERCs See Eligible Costs on page 5. Not-for-profit employers are eligible to be reimbursed for Mandatory Employment-related Costs (MERCs) applicable to 100% of the provincial/territorial adult minimum wage (not including any top-up). All other employers are not eligible for funding to cover MERCs, in whole or in part. Not-for-profit employers must indicate if reimbursement of MERCs is being requested, and if so in what amount. This can include workers compensation premiums for not-for-profit employers in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and the Territories. Enter “0” if you are covering the cost of the MERCs. Note: In the assessment process, a point is awarded if a not-for-profit employer agrees to cover the full MERCs for a job. 25j. TOTAL Overhead Costs All applicants (employers) may be eligible for additional funding up to $3,000 for each student with a disability to accommodate students in the workplace. Only personal tools/adaptations required by a student in order to accomplish the activities of the position will be considered eligible. If you know at the time of application that you will be hiring a student who requires tools/adaptive devices, you should calculate the total cost associated with each job title and enter it in this block. However, assistance with these costs may be requested when needs are identified after the student is selected. If you require financial assistance, you must contact the program officer for your CSJ file to obtain approval. 25k. Total Contribution requested from HRSDC For on-line applications this amount will be calculated for you. If you are completing a paper application, calculate the total contribution requested by using this formula: (f x h) + (i + j). 25l. Total Employer Contribution For on-line applications this amount will be calculated for you. If you are completing a paper application, calculate the total amount of the contribution you will pay towards hiring a student. If you are requesting approval for more than one position, calculate the total of all columns and enter it on the Total line at the bottom. Include MERCs and overhead costs as appropriate. 26 - 31. Signature of Employer If your application is approved, it becomes an agreement with the Government of Canada. Therefore, it is important that the application be signed by the authorized person/people. The paper application must be signed by one or more people who have legal signing authority in your organization. If only one person is required to sign for your organization to enter into a binding agreement, fill out only boxes 26-28. If two people are required to sign for your organization to enter into a binding agreement, fill out boxes 26-31. By signing the paper application or submitting an on-line application, you declare you have read and understood the Canada Summer Jobs Articles of Agreement and declare that the job(s) would not be created without the financial assistance provided under this initiative. Applicant Guide - 2008 14 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 Assessment Process Applications will be assessed in terms of both eligibility and assessment criteria. Application Eligibility Criteria An application must meet eligibility criteria to qualify for assessment. To be considered eligible, an application must be received on or before the deadline, and the applicant must be an eligible employer under CSJ (as specified on page 4 of this guide). Initial Application Checklist Each application will be checked against the following criteria. Items 1 and 3 are eligibility criteria. The remaining items will be confirmed for an application before it can be recommended for funding. 1. Was the application received or postmarked on or before the closing date? 2. Has the application form been fully completed and signed by an authorized representative of the organization? [Signature not required at screening stage for on-line applications.] 3. Is the employer/applicant an eligible recipient under the Program Terms and Conditions and other eligibility criteria? If it is a for-profit employer, is it a small business of 50 or fewer employees? 4. Is the duration of work for the proposed jobs between 6 -16 consecutive weeks? 5. Are the jobs full-time, i.e. 30-40 hrs/week? (Part-time may be available to persons with a disability or other legitimate barriers to employment). 6. Is the total funding from all sources other than the employer/applicant, including from this program, equal to or less than 100% of the wages to be paid to the student(s)? 7. If the value of the contribution requested for the jobs targeted by this application exceeds $100,000, has the employer/applicant declared, in the appropriate section of the Articles of Agreement, the amount and origin of funding from other sources? 8. Are the jobs eligible in that they do not contribute to the provision of personal service to the employer/applicant? 9. Does the proposed salary meet the minimum wage requirements in the province/territory of the activity? 10. Does employer/applicant identify that a union is present on the worksite or that they are a unionized employer? If YES, ensure that union concurrence is documented in the file. 11. Has the employer/applicant identified that they owe money to the Government of Canada? Applicant Guide - 2008 15 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 Regardless of the response, a verification must be carried out. 12. If the employer/applicant has declared that s/he has resorted to the services of a lobbyist or any individual within the organization that falls within the definition of lobbyist in the Lobbyists Registration Act, has s/he declared that this person is registered as a lobbyist under that Act? 13. Does the employer/applicant describe how s/he will ensure that the student is aware of good Health and Safety practices in the job? 14. Does the employer/applicant attest that the job would not be created without the financial assistance from this program? 15. Are our files for this employer/applicant free of any documentation that would render this application non-acceptable based on documented evidence from previous Service Canada/HRSDC program agreements? Assessment Criteria Each eligible CSJ application (i.e. each application that meets the eligibility criteria) will be assessed against all the following assessment criteria and will be scored appropriately. Local priorities within criterion #2 are defined for each constituency; therefore, each application within a constituency will be assessed against the same local priorities. For applications that include multiple position titles, each position title will be scored separately and a final score will be established for the application. The final score will be used to rank the application within all those assessed applications received for the same constituency. 1. Job to support the provision of services in local communities: to persons with disabilities to recent immigrants to Aboriginal people to members of visible minorities to persons who are homeless or street-involved to other groups with social or employment barriers including adult literacy/numeracy to children / youth to seniors related to environmental protection related to crime prevention related to public health and/or safety related to cultural or historical development Scoring Guide 0 point – No activity focused on the provision of important community services as outlined in the criteria Applicant Guide - 2008 Range 0 - 10 16 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 5 points – Some focus on one or more services as outlined in the criteria 10 points – Fully focused on one or more services as outlined in the criteria 2. Job supports local priorities Reflecting the local realities, priorities will be identified within the following framework: Special event (sport, cultural or other event of local, provincial/territorial, national or international scale) Location (such as rural, remote or areas of high unemployment) Sector (such as the not for profit sector, tourism, agriculture) Note: Local priorities may be added to ensure responsiveness to unforeseen circumstances or events. Scoring Guide 0 points - No local priority 2 points - Partly focused on a local priority 5 points - Fully focused on a local priority 3. Job provides career-related experience OR early work experience For jobs designed for post-secondary students: There will be recognition of the degree to which the proposed job would provide careerrelated skills to a student. ‘Some link’ refers to a general or non-specific connection between the job and the field(s) of study as expressed by the applicant (employer). ‘Direct link’ refers to a clear and logical connection between the job and the field(s) of studies, as expressed by the applicant (employer). For jobs designed for secondary school students, early work experience is recognized. Scoring Guide 0 point – No link between the job and the student(s) targeted for recruitment 2 points – Some link between the job and the student(s) targeted for recruitment 4 points – Direct link between the job and the student(s) targeted for recruitment OR 2 points – If employer indicates that s/he is planning to hire a secondary school student 4. Salary offered contributes to the student’s income There is recognition for employers who will pay more than minimum wage. Additional recognition for Not-for-profit sector employer who is also offering to cover the cost of the Mandatory Employment Related Costs (MERCs). Scoring Guide 0 point - Minimum Wage 0-2 0-4 0-5 Applicant Guide - 2008 17 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 1 point - Min. wage + top up For not-for-profit employers only: 1 point - If the employer is offering to pay the MERCs 5. Employer provides supervision and mentoring An application requires information indicating that there will be supervision. This will normally be on-site, but if not, there should be an indication of other mechanisms to compensate for the fact that it is fully or partly ‘remote’ supervision. The application should include provision for the elements of: orientation, training, oversight of the student’s work, and feedback on the employee’s performance. A plan for mentoring the student(s) focuses on skills such as problem solving, decisionmaking and working with others, and can extend to technical or specific skills associated with an occupation. Mentoring is a structured plan to assist the student(s) to acquire employability skills. Scoring Guide 2 points – Plan for supervision 3 points – Plan for supervision and mentoring 6. Project activities are directed toward members of and support the vitality of an Official Language Minority Community An Official Language Minority Community is one in which the Official Language (either French or English) spoken is not the majority Official Language in the Province or Territory in question. To qualify as supporting the vitality and assisting in the development of an OLMC, the job must require the use of the Minority Language. For example: The student uses the minority language in day to day internal operations; or The student is required to use the minority language for external operations or for responding to external demands (customer service); or The student could be involved in communications activities such as preparing written material, video, audio or web-based information; or The student could be involved in activities promoting community development or cultural activities, museums, guided tours, festivals or theatre, as well as other activities related to tourism. Scoring Guide 0 point – The applicant (employer) has indicated no OLMC activity 3 points – The project activities are directed towards members of an Official Language Minority Community 7. Employer intends to hire priority students “Priority students” are: Students with disabilities Aboriginal students Students who are members of visible minorities Applicant Guide - 2008 2-3 0-3 0 -3 18 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 An application requires details of how the priority students will be recruited. The plan must be consistent with reasonable recruitment methods for the group(s) in the local context. The application should detail agencies that will be contacted who serve the group(s) of students being targeted. For example: Aboriginal Friendship Centres, Service Canada Centres for Youth, community youth centres, post-secondary educational institution employment services, other specialized services etc. Points can also be provided where the applicant (employer) indicates that a qualified priority student has already been identified. Scoring Guide 0 point – No indication of intention to hire priority student(s) 1 point – Yes, but no articulated priority student recruitment plan 3 points – Yes, and priority student recruitment plan or priority student already identified Total maximum 30 points Approval Process All assessed applications within a constituency will be ranked according to their score, and a list of recommended projects will be developed. This list will include the highest ranking applications that can be accommodated within the budget for the constituency. Service Canada will inform you of the status of your application beginning late April 2008. All decisions on applications rejected or approved (according to budget availability) will be confirmed in writing. In the case of eligible, assessed applications, applicants also will be informed of the overall assessment score. If you submit a paper application and it is approved, the CSJ application will become the contribution agreement between your organization and the Government of Canada. A copy of the Application/Agreement signed by an appropriate delegated authority for Canada will be returned to you, along with other appropriate forms and tools. If you submit your application through the on-line process and it is approved, Service Canada will require your signature(s) on both the Application Summary and the Articles of Agreement. The documents will be sent to you for signature, and you then will return the signed copy to Service Canada for signing by an appropriate delegated authority for Canada. A copy of the final signed Articles of Agreement will be returned to you, along with other appropriate forms and tools. Decisions regarding the assessment of applications are final. There is no recourse, i.e. there is no right of appeal. However, Service Canada will provide a contact to address any questions you may have regarding your application. Applicant Guide - 2008 19 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 Office of the Fairness Advisor A key element of Service Canada accountability and client service is the creation of the position of Fairness Advisor and the establishment of the Office of the Fairness Advisor. This Office provides a mechanism for service delivery partner organizations to voice their comments, complaints, and suggestions for improvement, concerning the processes related to the delivery of grants and contributions by Service Canada. The Office enables dialogue and feedback on issues of fairness, integrity and respect for the rules and recommends solutions to help Service Canada continue improving its relationship with its community partners and its delivery of services to Canadians. The Fairness Advisor ensures that practices related to the administration of grants and contributions programs are implemented in a fair, open, transparent way and that program Terms and Conditions and related rules have been followed. In addition, complaints regarding Departmental adherence to published standards of service, quality, and performance are assessed. If an organization has gone through all normal processes for resolution of issues or concerns and remains dissatisfied, the organization can submit a complaint to the Fairness Advisor on line at nc-fairness-impartialitegd@servicecanada.gc.ca, by fax at 819-934-2295, or in writing at: Office of the Fairness Advisor 0291-200 Promenade du Portage Place du Centre, 2nd Floor Gatineau, QC K1A 0J9 Contact us For more information, you can visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca (Employers and Business section), call the Youth Info Line at 1-800-935-5555 (TTY 1-800-926-9105), or visit your local Service Canada Centre. Applicant Guide - 2008 20 Canada Summer Jobs - 2008 Appendix A – Acknowledgement Card For paper applications only, if you would like a confirmation of the receipt of your application, complete the Acknowledgement Card below. Detach the Acknowledgement Card and include it with your CSJ Application. The Acknowledgement Card will be mailed to you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CARD – Canada Summer Jobs 2008 Refer to the application number listed below on all correspondence: This will acknowledge receipt of your 2008 Canada Summer Jobs application. This is NOT an approval notice. Name: Address: City/Town: Province: Postal Code: Phone number: Fax number: Email address: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Do not complete the following: (for official use only) If available – File number: _____________________ Service Canada Official _________________ Date Received Applicant Guide - 2008 21